Back on July 7th, John Kim, COO of T1, was hospitalized due to health concerns. Now, we’re crushed to hear that John Kim has passed away this morning. Everyone knows the T1 legends, but John Kim, the T1 COO is perhaps not quite as well known. He was instrumental to much of the org’s success, and the announcement of his passing was made around 8 BST today. Though the “health issues” are unclear, we choose not to speculate about the details of someone’s passing.

A father figure to many of the players and content creators, he worked hard to make sure T1 was the best it possibly could be. The T1 esports org put out a statement this morning, regarding the passing of T1’s John Kim:

“It is with profound sadness that we inform you of the passing of our COO, John Kim. After being hospitalized on July 7 due to health issues, John passed away on July 16, 2021. John has been instrumental in building T1, worked tirelessly for our players and staff and he will be missed dearly. While we mourn the loss of our dear friend and colleague, we will also continue to celebrate his life and the time we had with him. Please keep John’s family in your thoughts as they go through this difficult time.”

A young man still at the age of 41, John Kim was an incredible part of helping make South Korea the esports powerhouse it presently is. Some of the members of the org have spoken out about what John Kim meant to them, with Nick “LS” DeCesare complimenting the COO on helping ease the stress of daily life, and was always available to be of assistance. He would help others in the org without being asked to, and it sounds like he will be dearly missed.

Our sincerest condolences go out to John Kim’s family and hope those who knew him can celebrate his life, remembering the good he brought to those around him and to the world of esports. It is incredibly heartwarming to see the outpouring of support and kind words about John Kim. It is clear that he was beloved in our community.